TENNIS superstar Novak Djokovic will be allowed to play at the US Open this year following the United States Senate’s vote to end Covid-19 measures.
The Serbian, who has won the joint-most men’s Grand Slam titles along with Rafael Nadal, has not played in the United States since he lost the 2021 US Open final because of Covid measures introduced by the government during the worst period of the pandemic.
Unlike most of his colleagues, Djokovic has refused to take the Covid-19 jab, and the United States requires international visitors to show proof of vaccination.
He missed out on the Miami Open recently due to the rule, but on Wednesday, the US Senate passed a bill that will end Covid-19 declarations that were put in place by former President Donald Trump on March 13, 2020.
The bill, which was cleared by the House of Representatives earlier this year, will now be sent to Joe Biden, who is expected to sign it.
The vote means the agencies in the US will gradually stop enforcing Covid protocols, which will allow Djokovic to take part in the US Open in August.
The 35-year-old missed the tournament in New York last year and also missed the Indian Wells meet, after being denied permission to enter America.
He had applied for special permission to enter, but a request to play in Miami and at Indian Wells was rejected by officials.
He also missed the Australian Open last year when he was detained briefly and deported for entering the country without having proper Covid clearance.
He returned to Melbourne this January to win his 22nd Grand Slam title to go level with Nadal on the all-time list.
Djokovic has won the US Open title three times, most recently in 2018, while finishing as runner-up six times.
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